Has anyone had experience with Melanoma Vaccine?

[mazzerrr1993]

I just wondered if anyone had used the melanoma vaccine?

I have a grey who has a very small lump under his tail on his dock but just recently i noticed a lump on his neck - on the lower side where his neck and jaw meet, just a tad further back than his salivary glands (and low down) - Now it is very possible that this is part of his normal anatomy but he turned to itch the other day and i noticed it now i cant stop fussing over it. He has also had grass glands recently (gets them often in summer so no worry really), im guessing due to the odd weather.

I will be getting the vet out to check this next week but i was just curious about some info on the melanoma vaccine (even just about his tail lump if the neck comes out to be nothing) before the vet comes along.

thanks

 

[Meowy Catkin]

No personal experience. I did find this thread on COTH though.

https://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/...melanoma-oncept-november-2019-update-post-173

 

[tatty_v]

My horse has had it and the annual boosters. He had melanomas in his sheath and under his tail (that we can see). Since having the vaccine they’ve been static in size, which is a positive in my eyes. I know others have had much more dramatically positive results.

 

[mazzerrr1993]

My horse has had it and the annual boosters. He had melanomas in his sheath and under his tail (that we can see). Since having the vaccine they’ve been static in size, which is a positive in my eyes. I know others have had much more dramatically positive results.

Thankyou, dare i ask the average cost and did insurance cover this ?

 

[tatty_v]

Thankyou, dare i ask the average cost and did insurance cover this ?

From recollection it was circa £1k for the initial course of vaccinations (4 in all, spaced two weeks apart I think) and this was covered by the insurance. I pay for the annual boosters now. Although it is expensive it gives me some comfort that I’m doing something as surgical removal isn’t an option for us unfortunately.

 

[racebuddy]

Ive known 2 horses have it and
Not worked , and had to have further surgery, my boy also hS melamomas and had surgery, vaccine was discussed but they couldn’t even give 50 percent chance it could work £1500 for vaccine and 650 for boosters at 6 months has to have initial of vaccines spaces out every 2 weeks plus sedation, i felt that ot wasnt a option for mine no guarantee it would work , hes not good off sedTipn and a couple of months off competing , it was decoded we
Would monitor and if anything major changes then surgery but hes gone 2 years now and stayed very settled and no surgery xxx my main worry was no guarantee xxx

 

[AnShanDan]

I got my vet to look into it for me. I have a grey mare I bred myself, she is a brilliant little horse and I love her to bits!!
She has a couple of tiny dots on her (might be anything really, not necessarily melanomas at all) but I'll never sell her and I want to keep her as good as I can.
Anyway, the vet confirmed all the above, basically it is very variable in effect and while the expense wouldn't put me off as such, I don't want to pay for something that might do nothing.
Vet did say that it might be effective as a preventative but we'd never know!!

 

[Inda]

I started my filly on it a year ago. She had a malignant melanoma diagnosis rather than the usual grey melanoma.
It has a median survival of 8months.

We started oncept, a month after the initial course about 20 little scabs fell off her. Talked about them with the hospital, the assumption is they were melanomas. Petplan paid with no issues.

I’m keeping her on it as a preventative for more, but as AnShanDan said there’s no evidence it will work.

She was rescoped at the 8th month mark with no evidence of spread in her guttural pouches.

 

[jo kingston]

I started my filly on it a year ago. She had a malignant melanoma diagnosis rather than the usual grey melanoma.
It has a median survival of 8months.

We started oncept, a month after the initial course about 20 little scabs fell off her. Talked about them with the hospital, the assumption is they were melanomas. Petplan paid with no issues.

I’m keeping her on it as a preventative for more, but as AnShanDan said there’s no evidence it will work.

She was rescoped at the 8th month mark with no evidence of spread in her guttural pouches.

 

[jo kingston]

Hi
I’ve just seen that you used oncept for your horses melanoma , can you please tell me if it’s still available and what vet has it thank you

 

[RhossT]

My pony would be dead without the vaccine. Hasn't got rid of them completely but has massively slowed down growth and spread. On six monthly booster which is costly but well worth it.

 

[jo kingston]

My pony would be dead without the vaccine. Hasn't got rid of them completely but has massively slowed down growth and spread. On six monthly booster which is costly but well worth it.

Can I ask where you got the vaccine

 

[Bernster]

Apparently not available in the uk - RVC can’t get it for my boy. Comes from the US.

 

[jo kingston]

I’m having the same problem

 

[Inda]

There’s a distribution shortage, I managed to get a box shipped in from the states a few weeks before there was nothing. It might be worth contacting Derek Knottenbelt, at equine medical solutions. They were looking at supply routes last time I spoke to them.

 

[jo kingston]

Thanks for info, I spoke to them and they are only giving out boosters at the moment, would you have any other sources

 

[jo kingston]

Go around in circles trying to get the vaccine, any suggestions

 

[Opera]

I have just started my horse on Oncept. He has had the first three injections now and the fourth is being administered on Tuesday 19th april. The drug was unavailable from the USA for many months, but became available in March. It is much more expensive than I was given to understand. £2,500 (inc postage) for the first four jabs administered over 8 weeks. then it is given every six months after that at around £480 per injection. My insurance will only cover the first 4 jabs so this was a bit of a blow. My vet cover is just £3,000. On top of the cost of the drug was postage of £200 from Cambridge Equine Vets as the drug has to be temperature controlled. Then I will have to pay the call outs for the vets to give the injection - so that uses up my whole allowance for the claim.
There seems to be conflicting information regarding its efficacy. Ive read that it has a 50% success rate, but Cambridge seem to have a much more optimistic view and say about 80% success rate.
I dont know how I will know whether his melanomas are improving. We will continue to measure them and hope they reduce. He is only just 10 and has about 8 or 9 malanomas around the anus and on the dock.
I want to give him his best chance so will go with it in the hopes that we see some improvement.

 

[rextherobber]

Thanks for posting, good to know it is available again. That's a big price increase though! Would be interested to know how your's gets on with it, if you don't mind keeping is updated? Are there any side effects? Good luck, hope it goes well.

 

[ycbm]

but Cambridge seem to have a much more optimistic view and say about 80% success rate.

I would suspect that is because they have refined the selection criteria for which horses will respond to it, and if so, that's very good news for anyone paying for it themselves.
.

 

[alexomahony]

Mine had the vaccine done when he was 10 years old with just one visible lump in his jaw.

He’s now 17 and his lump has never changed and is still his only (visible) one